Thailand Live Wednesday 20 Jan 2016

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Malaysia to increase police, army patrols to assure security



KUALA LUMPUR: -- Malaysia's National Security Council on Tuesday decided to increase police and military presence in public and tourist areas to assure the people of their safety, The Star Online reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888060-malaysia-to-increase-police-army-patrols-to-assure-security/

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US calls on Myanmar president to release remaining political prisoners

YANGON: -- The Myanmar Times reported that a senior US State Department official on Monday called on President U Thein Sein to release remaining political prisoners before the end of his term in March.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888061-us-calls-on-myanmar-president-to-release-remaining-political-prisoners/

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Philippines congressmen seek to enact bill exempting Miss Universe from taxes



MANILA: -- Two congressmen have called for the enactment of a bill that would grant newly-crowned Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach exemptions from the payment of taxes and duties out of her winnings, Manila Bulletin reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888064-philippines-congressmen-seek-to-enact-bill-exempting-miss-universe-from-taxes/

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SET down 13.03 points at opening /Bangkok Post

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A Decade Ago: Invaders of the nude variety
Phuket Gazette


Do you remember these headlines? Well, if not, we're sure you'll notice some trends. Photo: Gazette graphics

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Gazette's page one story a decade ago was about water supplies being enough to keep Phuket’s thirst quenched for the high season. However, the juicy part of the January 14-20 issue was the ‘Inside Story’: Are nudists itching to invade Thailand?

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888065-a-decade-ago-invaders-of-the-nude-variety/

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Hanoi's largest road flyover opens, reduces traffic jams



HANOI: -- The largest steel flyover of Hanoi, which connects route 5 and Noi Bai Airport, opened to traffic Monday morning, Viet Nam News reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888066-hanois-largest-road-flyover-opens-reduces-traffic-jams/

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Phuket health store raided for selling counterfeit beauty products
Eakkapop Thongtub


Officials inspect some of the goods sold in the store during yesterday's raid. Photo Ekkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: -- A health and beauty store in Wichit has been banned from selling a number of products after it was found that some were counterfeit. It is alleged they were also selling unregistered medicines and health products.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888067-phuket-health-store-raided-for-selling-counterfeit-beauty-products/

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Tourism fair at Lumphini Park draws over half a million visitors



BANGKOK: -- Tourism Authority of Thailand says the 36th Thailand Tourism Festival 2016, the biggest annual event held to boost the Thai tourism, had successfully attracted more than 670,000 visitors and generated more than 300 million baht.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888071-tourism-fair-at-lumphini-park-draws-over-half-a-million-visitors/

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NCPO appoints new ThaiHealth VP

BANGKOK, 20 January 2016 (NNT) - The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has exercised its powers under Section 44 of the interim constitution to appoint another Vice President to the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), in order to continue its important work in health care.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888074-ncpo-appoints-new-thaihealth-vp/

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Five Planets to Align in Night Sky
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


The planets Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter shown in alignment. Graphic: National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand.

BANGKOK — Look up at the night sky and be awed by the alignment of five planets during the next 30 days.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888076-five-planets-to-align-in-night-sky-national-astronomical-research-institute-of-thailand/

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Predawn shower floods Bangkok, causes heavy traffic jams



BANGKOK: -- Predawn rains heavily lashed Bangkok and adjacent provinces today, inundating many roads in the capital's inner and outer zones, and bringing early morning's traffic to a standstill.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888077-predawn-shower-floods-bangkok-causes-heavy-traffic-jams/

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Hillary Clinton’s emails contained highly classified intelligence – top inspector
BY BNO NEWS

WASHINGTON: -- A number of emails on the private server of then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton contained intelligence from highly classified government programs, a top inspector general has told lawmakers, according to Fox News.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888078-hillary-clintons-emails-contained-highly-classified-intelligence-top-inspector/

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'Penthouse' Ends Print Run, Goes Digital-Only
by Erik Sass, Staff Writer

NEW YORK: -- It’s the end of an era, or something. Penthouse magazine owner FriendFinder Network announced Friday that it will cease publishing the skin mag’s print edition and switch to a digital-only format.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888082-penthouse-ends-print-run-goes-digital-only/

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Mixed farming eases rubber price crash

YALA, 20 January 2016 (NNT) – A local rubber planter in the southern province of Yala has survived the rubber price crash with mixed farming. He is happy to share his experience and knowledge of the integrated agriculture with others.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888083-mixed-farming-eases-rubber-price-crash-in-yala/

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Junta Approves 20 Billion Baht for Internet Broadband, Gateway
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Photo: Norlando Pobre / Flickr

BANGKOK — The Junta approved 20 billion baht on Tuesday to improve internet broadband in the kingdom, drawing criticism from internet freedom advocates it will be used to develop its controversial “single gateway” project.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888085-thai-govt-approves-20-billion-baht-for-internet-broadband-gateway/

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Government to expedite relief measures to help farmers affected by drought

BANGKOK, 20 January 2016 (NNT)-The government is planning to divert water from alternative sources to parched provinces as part of its drought relief measures.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888086-thai-govt-to-expedite-relief-measures-to-help-farmers-affected-by-drought/

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Calls for boycott over diversity throw Oscars into turmoil
JAKE COYLE, AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Growing calls for a boycott of the Academy Awards over the lack of diversity among this year's Oscar nominees are forcing stars to choose sides and threatening to throw the movie industry's biggest night of the year into turmoil.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888088-calls-for-boycott-over-diversity-throw-oscars-into-turmoil/

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Wat Phrathat Chang Kham Worawihan earns extra income from recycling

NAN, 20 January 2016 (NNT) - Wat Phrathat Chang Kham Worawihan Temple in Nan province has begun recycling in order to generate extra income.

Wat Phrathat Chang Kham Worawihan Temple has been able to collect a large amount of water bottles and other items left by approximately 1,000 people visiting the temple each day. Monks and novices would gather daily to help sort through the garbage to be sold to recycling companies.

This extra income supports education and medical expenses for poor novices. The temple is also said to have made enough money to cover water, electricity and maintenance bills.


-- NNT 2016-01-20

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China accuses detained Swede of endangering state security

BEIJING (AP) — A Swedish co-founder of a human rights group in China was detained because he is suspected of funding activities that endanger state security, Chinese state media said Tuesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888091-china-accuses-detained-swede-of-endangering-state-security/

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Thais outraged after rude reporters mob Por's corpse
By Prae Sakaowan


8bit illustration of the incident. Photo: Pixel Crazy 8bit

BANGKOK: -- Netizens have slammed Thai press for their lack of respect and morality after several reporters flooded through protective barriers to photograph the lifeless body of actor Thridsadee "Por" Sahawong.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888115-thais-outraged-after-rude-reporters-mob-pors-corpse/

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Gunman surrenders to police



BANGKOK: -- The gunman who shot three neighbours to death after a heated argument over parking area surrendered to Pak Kret police late Tuesday night.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888134-three-shot-dead-gunman-surrenders-to-thai-police/

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Phuket police arrest Bulgarian card skimmer
Eakkapop Thongtub


A shot of Tulumbadzhiev as he withdraws money from an ATM.

PHUKET: -- A man from Bulgaria was arrested for fraud on Monday (Jan 18) when he was caught using cloned credit cards to withdraw cash from an ATM machine outside of a 7Eleven store in Karon. Police seized from the man a total of 130 cloned cards.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888136-phuket-police-arrest-bulgarian-card-skimmer/

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Ex-leftist German radicals' DNA found after failed robbery

FRANKFURT: -- Three members of Germany’s defunct radical leftist Red Army Faction carried out a failed armed robbery last year to finance their life on the run, according to investigators . The three were identified through DNA tests carried out on an abandoned car used in the raid.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888139-ex-leftist-german-radicals-dna-found-after-failed-robbery/

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Gunmen storm university in northwest Pakistan



CHARSADDA: -- Gunmen have stormed Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, northwestern Pakistan and opened fire on students and teachers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888142-gunmen-storm-university-in-northwest-pakistan/

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IRBIL, Iraq (AP) - Only On AP: Islamic State group has razed oldest Christian monastery in Iraq

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Food, beer and hookers: Here are most Googled things in Thailand
BY JONATHAN FAIRFIELD



BANGKOK: -- Cost estimation site Fixr recently released an infographic detailing the most popular Google searches related to cost for each country around the world.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888156-food-beer-and-hookers-here-are-most-googled-things-in-thailand/

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Chinese tourists to Thailand on the rise: 16 percent annually
BY LARRY BANKS


Chinese tourists visiting a temple in Thailand.

BANGKOK: -- The number of Chinese tourists coming to Thailand each year is expected to grow by 16 percent annualy over the next five years, even though there’s a slowdown in the Chinese economy, according to brokerage CLSA.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888159-chinese-tourists-to-thailand-on-the-rise-16-percent-annually/

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Only On AP: Oldest Christian monastery in Iraq razed
MARTHA MENDOZA, Associated Press
MAYA ALLERUZZO, Associated Press
BRAM JANSSEN, Associated Press

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press confirm what church leaders and Middle East preservationists had feared: The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State's relentless destruction of heritage sites it considers heretical.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888160-only-on-ap-oldest-christian-monastery-in-iraq-razed/

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Dengue danger: nearly 600 patients infected so far this year
By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Thai health officials are stepping up prevention measures against dengue after 583 new cases of the fever were recorded between Jan. 1 and 11 this year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888162-dengue-danger-nearly-600-patients-infected-so-far-this-year/

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Banks confident Chinese New Year spending to be lively

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Bank has forecast that spending during this year’s Chinese New Year celebration will be vibrant, especially by Chinese visitors to the Kingdom in spite of their weakening currency.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888163-banks-confident-chinese-new-year-spending-to-be-lively/